Pittsburgh Steelers: Joey Porter returns as defensive assistant coach

The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for bringing back familiar faces and they’ve continued the trend by bringing back former linebacker Joey Porter to help coach the outside linebackers.

Porter spent eight seasons with the Steelers (1999- 2006) and was a member of the 2005 Super Bowl champion team.

The former linebacker has had his fair share of accolades over his lengthy career including; four Pro Bowl appearances, named to the All-Pro team four times, and a was member of the NFL All-Decade Team for the 2000’s just to name a few.

Porter finished his career with 98 sacks, 721 tackles (552 solo), 25 forced fumbles and 12 interceptions. He amassed 60 sacks during his time in Pittsburgh which is good for sixth best in franchise history.

An interesting note on this hiring is that Porter was one of the first players current head coach Mike Tomlin let go upon his arrival to Pittsburgh. Porter went on to play more seasons, with the Miami Dolphins and the Arizona Cardinals.

Now Porter is a member of Tomlin’s staff and is expected to be working with the outside linebackers. He worked on the staff at Colorado State during 2013, giving him coaching experience.

Porter’s an excellent choice to groom young talent like Jones. He was a solid player in his day and has the experience. His experience is something he can relay to young linebackers such as Jones or Vince Williams to help improve their game.

Not only does Porter have the experience but the emotions he brings set him apart from some coaches. Porter was always known for “trash talk” or pre-game motivational speeches. He was full of energy and conveyed it on and off the field.

My favorite Porter moment came before the 2005 AFC Championship game as the Steelers were on the road in Denver playing the Denver Broncos for the AFC title.

Porter was involved with a shooting incident that occurred in Denver back in 2003 where he was accidentally shot in the buttocks. He was innocent bystander that happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Anyways, Porter prior to the AFC title game was going through his routine of pumping of the team when he yelled, “They shot me in Denver!” and that right there summed up Porter’s personality perfectly. A character with a lot of heart and emotion to say the least.

It’s a smart move by the Steelers, Porter is capable of teaching these younger players how to be a quality player on this team and in the NFL. Here’s to developing young talent, coach Porter.

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About Ryan Petrovich

A proud Mountaineer at West Virginia University who is pursuing a degree in broadcast journalism. Correspondent for isportsweb covering the Pittsburgh Steelers and WWE. Assistant writer for the Associated Press covering WVU football. Former sports intern at the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Staff writer for an entertainment website, The Black Sheep.
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